BJP opposes NCTC as violative of Federal Structure

In November 2009, marking the first anniversary of the Mumbai terror attack, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram spoke of a grand arrangement to address India’s security concerns. As a part of this, he had envisaged the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) as an over arching body bringing better coordination, synergy and dynamism among the various agencies such as the RAW, the IB, the NIA and the NSG. The home minister then said it was his “fervent plea” that this “should not result in turf wars”.

Presently as things stand the NCTC is reduced to be yet another agency under the IB. The NTRO meant for surveillance for preventing and containing terrorism is used more to track political opponents.

Law and Order is a state subject as per Schedule 7 of the Indian Constitution. Although on issues of national security the Government of India could take the necessary initiatives it is expected that they would do it with consultation and with a consensus building approach. The congress led UPA is arrogant and on several critical matters they have decided with hardly any consultation with the states. The Teesta water agreement with Bangla Desh, the FDI in multi brand retail, the Communal Violence Bill are only recent examples of how the Central Government has bulldozed its agenda under the garb of ‘right to do so.’

The BJP strongly believes that on matters of National security and fight against terrorism there are no compromises to be made. Speaking in the Parliament in August 2011, the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Shri Arun Jaitley, reminded the government that the NIA has failed to live up to the expectation of the nation. He said, “The three years in which the NIA have investigated the Mumbai case for such a major conspiracy which would have involved hundreds of conspirators both within and outside, only one man stands convicted.”

The efforts of this government in bringing about a safer India do not instill confidence. Concluding his speech in the Rajya Sabha, Shri Jaitley in August 2011, had said, “National Security will have to prevail over vote bank politics. You will have to strengthen the prevention of terror, the combating of terror and the punishment of terrorists… My last advice to the Hon’ble Home Minister is to keep in mind the national interest and the feelings of all patriotic Indians. You will do this country a lot more good, if you follow a strong Anti-terror policy.”

The UPA is playing vote bank politics, is arrogating powers to itself without any concern for the states.

On the one hand they are not facilitating state governments in their fight against terrorism. Gujarat governments GUJCOC (Bill for prevention of Organised Crime) is for years awaiting central clearance while Maharashtra has a comparable law now for years.

The Unlawful Activities Prevention Act has absorbed several of the provisions of the POTA. For political reasons POTA is being attacked but the same is being justified in an alternative name.

NTRO which was planned as a surveillance agency is more in news for political surveillance.

The way in which the NCTC is being set up by an Executive Order without even consulting the states is now being objected to by even UPA’s own allies such as the Trinamool Congress.

The UPA has successfully run a campaign to color code terror rather than fight it.

In setting up the NCTC without consultation, usurping what is necessarily in the States’ domain the UPA has clearly attacked the basic federal structure of our Constitution. No wonder the states are standing up against it.

The BJP demands that a meeting of the Inter State Council be called to discuss this matter immediately.